The present invention relates to vehicle rearview mirrors, and more particularly related to the display of information on buttons in a rearview mirror assembly.
Rearview mirror assemblies for modern vehicles often include many functions, since they are located in an excellent position in vehicles for viewing, sensing, and touching. Further, miniaturized electronics have made it such that it is not uncommon for an electrochromic mirror assembly to include multiple electrical circuits, controls and sensors for such things as daylight/darkness sensing, auto-darkening of the mirror reflector to reduce glare at night, keyless entry sensing, temperature sensing, compass and directional sensing, microphones, passenger air-bag on/off controls, emergency call and help assistance systems, along with all of the on/off buttons and on/off indicator lights that go along with these systems. A problem is that this results in a very high density of buttons, on/off displays, alphanumerical and lighted identification markings, and the like. It is desirable to place these things on a mirror housing for easy viewing and access, but so that they do not interfere with viewing objects in the rearview mirror. However, the display area under a mirror must be kept to a minimum vertical dimension and minimum total area so that a vehicle driver can see past the mirror out the vehicle front window. The result is a vertically narrow, horizontally elongated display area that extends horizontally along a bottom of the mirror housing that tends to be unacceptably crowded and cluttered with multiple buttons, lights, and indicators. This is particularly true with high-function mirrors where the display area under the mirror can include lights, buttons, and symbols for each function. The density of these lights, buttons, and symbols forces them to be relatively small in size and difficult to identify and touch. Accordingly, a display is desired that incorporates buttons, lighted indicators, and identification symbols, but that both maintains a minimum of size while also maintaining ease of readability and recognition, and that also maintains easy button activation.
Another problem concerns daylight versus nighttime viewing. During the day, bright sunlight may make it difficult to determine if an indicator light is on, especially when the indicator light is small or positioned close to other indicators, or if the indicator light is too dimly lit. Darkness can aggravate the problem. For example, if an indicator that is bright enough to see during the day, it is often uncomfortably bright when viewed at night. At the same time, indicator lights that have a comfortable brightness for viewing at night are usually too dim for viewing during the day. The problem becomes worse when different levels of light are used in an attempt to identify xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9coffxe2x80x9d positions of a button on a single lighted indicator.
Buttons and lighted indicators are often made with face materials that give a xe2x80x9cdead frontxe2x80x9d effect so that a driver cannot see fingerprints on the buttons and so that a driver cannot see into an indicator when the indicator is not lighted. This can make identifying symbols and markings on indicators difficult to read when the indicators are not lighted. This problem is compounded at night during darkness. It is often undesirable or impossible to make identification markings and buttons very large or too brightly colored, due to maximum housing size limitations and minimum reflector sizes allowed by the vehicle manufacturer. Also, large buttons and indicators can look bulky and unrefined, such that they do not fit well into the decor of the vehicle interior.
Aside from the density of displays and problems associated with daytime versus nighttime viewing, the vehicle and mirror manufacturing industries are highly competitive, price and value sensitive, and aesthetically driven. Therefore, any display system that is developed must provide good density of buttons, lighted indicators, and symbolic identification system, yet it must also be inexpensive, cost effective, durable, and relatively easily assembled.
The present invention has been developed in view of the foregoing, and to address other deficiencies of the prior art.
In one aspect of the present invention, a mirror for a vehicle includes a mirror housing, a reflector positioned in the mirror housing, and an electrical circuit having a switch coupled to the mirror housing for activating and de-activating the electrical circuit. A sensor is operably connected to the electrical circuit for sensing daylight and darkness. A compact display on a front of the mirror housing includes a button coupled to the switch to actuate the switch. The button includes a face having a light-transmissive window, and further having marginal material around the window to define a border, and still further having outer material forming an outer region outside of the border. The window and the border both define an identifying symbol for the button, and the marginal material has an appearance in daylight that contrasts visibly and noticeably with the outer material. A light source is positioned to direct light toward the window. The electrical circuit is configured to automatically energize the light source to a first level to allow viewing and identification when in darkness and when the switch has de-activated the circuit, and further is configured to automatically energize the light source to a second level to allow viewing and identification when in darkness and when the switch has activated the circuit, and still further is configured to automatically energize the light source to a third level to allow viewing and identification when in daylight and when the switch has activated the circuit, and also the border is visible due to contrast to the outer material when in the daylight to allow viewing and identification of the button when the switch has de-activated the circuit.
In another aspect of the present invention, a compact display for a mirror in a vehicle is provided, where the mirror has a mirror housing, a reflector positioned in the mirror housing, and an electrical circuit, the electrical circuit including a switch positioned in or on the housing for activating and de-activating the electrical circuit. A sensor is operably attached to the electrical circuit for sensing daylight and darkness. The display includes a button coupled to the switch to actuate the switch. The button includes a face having a light-transmissive window, and further having marginal material around the window to define a border, and still further having outer material forming an outer region outside of the border. The window and the border both define an identifying symbol for the button, and the marginal material has an appearance in daylight that contrasts visibly with the outer material. A light source is positioned to direct light toward the window. The electrical circuit is configured to automatically energize the light source to a first level when in darkness and when the switch has de-activated the circuit, and further is configured to automatically energize the light source to a second level when in darkness and when the switch has activated the circuit, and still further is configured to automatically energize the light source to a third level when in daylight and when the switch has activated the circuit, and also the border is visible by contrast to at least one of the outer material and the window when in the daylight to identify the button when the switch has de-activated the circuit.
In yet another aspect, a compact apparatus for a vehicle component includes a housing, a switch coupled to the housing, and a button coupled to the switch to actuate the switch. The button includes a face having a light-transmissive window, and further having marginal material around the window to define a border, and still further having outer material forming an outer region outside of the border. The window and the border both define an identifying symbol for the button. The marginal material has an appearance in daylight that contrasts visibly with at least one of the outer material and the window when the window is not lit. An automatically varied light source is positioned in the housing to direct light toward the window. The light source is configured to provide a level of light sufficient for viewing and identification when in darkness and when the switch has de-activated the circuit, and further is configured to provide a level of light sufficient for viewing and identification when in darkness and when the switch has activated the circuit, and still further is configured to provide a level of light sufficient for viewing and identification when in daylight and when the switch has activated the circuit, and also the border is visible when in the daylight to identify the button when the switch has de-activated the circuit.
In still another aspect of the present invention, a method comprises steps of providing a compact display including a button coupled to a switch to actuate the switch, the button including a face having a light-transmissive window, and further having marginal material around the window to define a border, and still further having outer material forming an outer region outside of the border, the window and the border both defining an identifying symbol for the button, and the marginal material having an appearance in daylight that contrasts visibly and noticeably with the outer material. The method includes sensing darkness and automatically energizing the light source to a level sufficient for viewing when the switch has deactivated a circuit, sensing darkness and automatically energizing the light source to a level sufficient for viewing when the switch has activated the circuit, and sensing daylight and automatically energizing the light source to a level sufficient for viewing when the switch has activated the circuit. The method further includes sensing daylight and reducing energization of the light such that the border identifies the button when the switch has de-activated the circuit.
These and other features, advantages, and aspects of the present invention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.